


Across The Other

by BAlvinia



Category: Norse Religion & Lore, Original Work
Genre: Drunkenness, F/M, Gen, Intoxication, Motherhood, Multi, Neo-Paganism, Old Gods, Other, POV Female Character, POV Third Person, POV Third Person Limited, Pagan Gods, Paganism, Polyamory, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Romance, The Astral Plane
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:39:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25117777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BAlvinia/pseuds/BAlvinia
Summary: Being a stay at home mom and wife doesn't make for much adventure. But Chloe has a secret life across the Other, where magic and gods, including a certain Trickster, twist everything upside down.
Relationships: Loki (Norse Religion & Lore)/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

Chloe stared at the clothes in front of her. There was an ugly pink sundress and a black sweater dress that she had pulled out. Where the sundress came from, she had no clue. The shade reminded her of vomit, like when her four year old had drank strawberry milk while suffering a fever. What had her husband been thinking? In any case, she was definitely putting that in a give-away box. On the other hand, the sweater dress looked cozy and warm. It probably wouldn't be the best idea to wear during the summer. She really didn't feel like going, anyway. Maybe she could say that she had no clothes to wear. It wouldn't be entirely untrue- her pants were all in need of a wash, which was why she was considering the dresses to begin with. Of course, she had already promised her daughter that they'd go to the party and you do not ever break a promise to a child if you can help it. Chloe should have known better than to even mention it to begin with, why had she said that they'll go?  
"April, honey, do you want to play with paints this afternoon?" Maybe the child had already forgotten about the party, she thought.  
The little girl burst through the door in a matter of seconds. Well, maybe more like a whole minute. It seemed instantaneous, at least. "After the party?"  
Chloe sighed. "No, never mind sweetie. Is that what you're wearing?" She had just noticed that the girl had on snow boots, jeans, and a long sleeve shirt. "It's too hot for that."  
"Yes!" The girl turned tail and ran through the apartment.  
"Change your clothes or you're definitely not going, young lady!" the woman yelled before turning back to the dresses. "Fuck it, I'm wearing dirty jeans," she muttered.  
It took another half hour before they got out the door and strapped into the car. Another ten minutes, and they were at the park. She got out of the car, then let the child run toward the group of kids. Chloe joined the parents. "Sorry we're late, April tried to come dressed for a snowstorm."  
One of the other moms laughed as she responded, "I just love when they do that."  
Everyone went through the party routine, ending with the kids back out on the playground. Chloe was bored by that point. Actually, she had been bored but she was more than ready to leave. She was pretty sure that one of the other moms had pointed out the chocolate stain on her pants to somebody and it was starting to get late, anyway. It would take an hour or so to get April to wind down enough for bed and it was already close to seven that evening. She thanked the parents of the birthday kid for inviting her daughter, then spent what felt like forever trying to get her kid to the car. Choe was glad to leave the party. She never did feel like she fit in with the other parents. It always made her uncomfortable to be around them.

That night found Chloe sprawled out on her bed with an oversized tee on in lieu of a nightie. She had just gotten off the phone with her husband. They had recently gone out of town to help his parents with some remodeling around their house, but things were taking longer than expected and he hadn't returned with her and April. She sighed.  
"John still not back?" The male voice startled Chloe as she reached for her glass of wine. It fell to the ground and she shot a glare at the man standing in her doorway.  
"No, he's not... And could you give a woman a bit of a warning next time?"  
He gave a lopsided grin. "That takes out the fun. Also, you've got what I hope is cake frosting in your hair."  
She groaned as she checked the ends of her auburn hair. "Yes, that's what it is. You want something to drink? I think I've got some of that cinnamon whiskey in the cabinet..."  
"Sure thing."  
The two made their way to the kitchen where Chloe poured a glass for her guest. "Sorry I haven't kept in touch lately," she said, "things have been hectic. I just got home this morning."  
"That's alright," he said while studying her face.  
She looked back at him from across the table, unsure as to what to say. It never seemed to get easier being around him. She wanted to take in the sight of him for the moment. His long, dark coppery brown hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail. Last time he'd visited, his hair had been cropped shorter and reminded her of flames. He hadn't left in the best of moods then. His green eyes still held that spark that only he seemed to have. That seemed to be one of the few things that remained so constant about his appearance.  
When Chloe realized that she had been staring, she averted her gaze down to the table. "I was actually hoping to talk to you soon," she stated quietly.  
“That’s why I’m here,” he said before taking a drink. “To talk.”  
She stared at him again for a moment. “Did you have anything specific in mind or should I just start blabbering at you now?”  
He chuckled. “Blabber on.”  
Chloe wasn’t actually sure what to say or where to start. ‘I’ve missed you and trying to talk to you when you’re off to gods-know-where is a pain in the ass. Can’t you just get a cell phone or something?’ didn’t seem like the best way to start off. She took a breath to clear her mind. “Why did you decide to show up while John was out of town, anyway?”  
“I wanted to give you a chance to talk without worrying about him.”  
She sighed. “You make things more complicated than they should be, you know.”  
Before she could say anything else, he had his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “That’s what I’m good for,” he grinned as he stepped back.  
The woman shook her head in dismay. She had what felt like everything in the world on her mind at that moment. Chloe had been considering some things that her husband probably wouldn’t like very much. Before April had been born, she had done more than stay home and clean a child’s face. She quit her day job so that she could focus her time and energy on being a mom. She quit her evening adventures because John was afraid something might follow her home one day. To be fair, the worry had crossed her mind a few times, but she was pretty good about being careful. Those days had been when she’d first met the man currently standing in the room with her.

* * * * * * * * *

_Five years ago, Chloe had found herself wandering an unfamiliar town. It was around dusk, one of the times of day that the veil between worlds was easier to cross. She’d taken to astral travel as a means of escape when she was in her teens. By this time, it had become more purposeful. The training she had underwent for several years, mostly apprenticing under more experienced spirit workers, gave her the necessary skills to assist others in multiple ways. That day, however, her trip that day in the Other was supposed to be just on the side of exploration. The young woman was taking in her surroundings. A light fog hung over the stone streets, lights from shop and restaurant windows illuminated it, giving it an eerie appearance. There were a few people walking about in the part of town she was in. She made sure to keep her distance. A sound down a nearby alley caught her attention. Her hand instinctively reached for the knife clipped to her belt. It didn’t look like much, but she knew she could always rely on it if something went wrong. Chloe wasn’t on a mission. Nobody had contacted her for help with anything and she hadn’t been out looking for trouble. Anybody would have known that alleys after dark usually mean trouble. Still, curiosity always got the better of her and so she edged closer to the source of the sound.  
When she peeked her head around the corner, she could see the silhouette of a couple of people in a struggle. She paused, waiting to further assess the situation. There was a muffled sound like somebody trying to speak with their mouth covered, then a sharp sound of pain. One of the silhouettes backed up quickly. Chloe heard a harsh string of words in a language she didn’t recognize, but she could guess there were some profanities among those words. It didn’t take more than a few more moments to realize that the two were probably just drunks. She sighed and stepped back, turning around directly into somebody. With a gasp, Chloe stepped back with an immediate apology.  
The man looking down at her had an unpleasant grin on his face. She straightened her back and turned slightly, hand reaching toward her knife once again. It was gone. The man held it up mockingly as he stepped toward her. Chloe realized that he must have snuck it when she bumped into him. An irritated “fuck” escaped her lips as she backed away. It was okay, she’d thought. She didn’t need her knife. It just made things a bit easier. Magic was always an option. She made her hands into fists and felt the air around her bubble. She released a ball of energy at him that was supposed to explode on contact. It dissipated when it hit the man. Chloe’s eyes grew wide as she realized just how much shit she’d stepped in. Wrong time and place indeed. The man was a lot larger than she was and she didn’t like the idea of hand-to-hand combat. Her flight response kicked in. As she twisted her body to turn around, she felt his large hands take hold of her shoulders and shove her around the corner into a wall. It felt like all of the air in her body left her. She kicked out at his knees and heard a crack upon impact. The man wavered long enough for her to duck under his arms and start running. Unfortunately, he must have been more pissed off than he was in pain because she heard his footsteps behind her. She only slightly registered that the drunks from the alley seemed to have both gone. They probably wouldn’t have been any help anyway.  
Chloe released another ball of energy toward the man, this time aiming slightly to his right. It hit a cluster of garbage cans that went flying directly into his path. He fell over them. She smiled in relief. It may have been a bad situation, but maybe she’d have a better chance of getting away from the freak. She made a turn that led to the backside of a building and her hopes fell again.  
As she tried to come up with a new plan, Chloe heard a door open. Light spilled out of the building as someone else stepped out. This one was tall, but had a thin build. The light made his short hair look like it was on fire. She looked in the direction of her attacker who had stopped just in the shadows. He must have wanted to be sure they were still going to be alone. Keeping her eyes on him and hoping that she wasn’t making another mistake, she moved closer to the door. The smell of alcohol and smoke wafted from that direction. It must have been a bar. “Hey, umm… Mister?” Chloe kept her voice low as she tried to get the new stranger’s attention. “Anyway can I get inside there?” It was surely safer than being stuck between a wall and the big guy.  
The flame-haired man looked at her with a shrug. He stumbled as he tried to pull the door back open. “M’nope,” he said. “S’locked.”  
Chloe groaned. “Great, thanks anyway…” It probably wasn’t his fault. She thought that she saw him staring in the direction of the shadows and glanced back in that direction.  
He spoke again, this time sounding sober. “That guy causing you problems?”  
She looked in surprise at him. “Uh… yeah.”  
The flame-haired man nodded and walked away from the door. “Hey, you!” His face lit up in a playful grin. “You like scaring pretty young maidens?” He paused to give her a wink and continued walking toward the other man.  
The big guy stepped out. He obviously knew that he’d been caught, but his posture revealed that he didn’t think it was such a big deal. “Maybe I do. What’s a twig like you going to do about it?”  
The man from the bar had his hands around the other man’s throat in an instant. Chloe took the chance and ran back the way she’d come. She spotted her knife still lying on the ground where the big guy must have dropped it. She picked it up and groaned as she realized that she should probably check on her perceived savior. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to somebody who was trying to help her. And, if it turned out that he wasn’t really such a great guy after all, she at least had her weapon that time.  
By the time she’d returned, the big guy was tied to a pole and the other one was lighting up a cigarette. Chloe raised a brow and cautiously stepped toward them. “Looks like you had it all under control… I appreciate that.” She glared at her previous attacker for a long moment.  
“Yup. Why’d you come back?” The flame-haired man looked curiously at her.  
She shrugged. “I just thought… Well, I was afraid as big as he is and as skinny as you are.” The woman shook her head. “No offense… You did seem drunk at first and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”  
“Of course I’m okay!” He strolled over toward her before she could process him moving. “You really shouldn’t have come back. This is a dangerous part of town.” His voice had turned hard.  
Startled, Chloe jumped back and flicked her knife in the air beside her. It’s form shifted into a sword and she pointed it at him. He held his hands up. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just saying… You really shouldn’t be here.”  
She let out a breath, still holding the sword in front of herself. “Okay. I’ll leave.”  
“I can walk you to a safer place if you’d like.” Chloe could have sworn that he had a look of concern on his face. She relaxed.  
“What do I call you?” she asked softly. It wasn’t always considered polite to ask what somebody’s name was. Giving your name could be thought of as a way of giving somebody power over you. Despite that, she wanted to have something to call him by if she was going to accept his offer.  
His voice had lit up in a grin again. “I’m Loki.” _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe has to make a decision that could change her relationship and tempt her back to the Other.

Chloe snapped herself out of her reverie. It felt like it had been decades ago. “I’m tired of all of this,” she waved her hand out as if gesturing to the world around her. “I miss everything. I can’t get John to understand.” She laughed softly. “It’s not like he would even have to know if I start travelling again. I don’t have to do anything particularly dangerous. It’s just the principal of the thing. I don’t want to lie to him if he ever asks.”  
Loki offered her a smile. “He’s not your owner. I also know that he loves you enough to accept any choices that you make.”  
She nodded. “I know. Speaking of choices…” The woman bit her bottom lip. “I think-”  
“Moommmy! Mommy, mommy, mommy!” The whine of April’s voice carried through the apartment.  
Chloe sighed. In relief or irritation, she wasn’t sure. It may have been both. She wanted to tell him more about how she felt, but wasn’t sure if it was the best idea. “I’d better see to her… I’ll be right back.”  
April was still afraid of sleeping on her own. Chloe always left her to herself once the little girl was asleep, but sometimes she woke up through the night. The child was never happy with her for it. After a long while, her daughter was back to sleep. Chloe had walked April to the bathroom, got her a drink of water, read her a story, sang her a lullaby, and nearly fell asleep along with the girl. By the time she returned to the kitchen, Loki had gone. She left everything as it was, only turning off the light before she went to bed.

Chloe couldn’t seem to get herself to stay asleep for very long that night. She was still thinking about Loki. It had been months since the god had graced her with his presence and she hadn’t bothered trying to communicate with him for about half of that time. Part of the issue on her end was her inability to own up to her emotions. It didn’t particularly help, either, that she might as well have insulted him last time they’d spoken in person. Chloe sighed as she rolled out of bed, making sure to turn the alarm off. She would not be thrilled if it went off and woke up April while she was in the middle of her wake-up routine. Quiet starts to the morning like this were few and far between with a kid who usually woke up first. Unfortunately, it was only because it was early that she might have a chance to have a cup of coffee without juggling breakfast and yelling at her child to turn down the volume on the weekend morning cartoons.  
The woman stared at the cups left on the kitchen table for a moment when she entered the room. It might have been a bit odd, but it was comforting to see them there. It made her feel more like his having been there was real. She didn’t know if that feeling would ever go away. Chloe always had this sense of unreality when it came to him. When she finally brought herself to clean up the mess, she noticed a small slip of paper had been placed underneath one of the cups. Unfolding it, she found a messy script addressed to her.  
“Chloe,” it read, “Gotta go. I’ll see you later. You know where to find me tonight if you want to.”  
She tucked the note into her robe pocket and frowned as she considered what little he had written. They used to meet at a tree near her grandparent’s home in the countryside. It had bells and ribbons tied onto it from the kids decorating it throughout the years. She never did find out what started that tradition, but it was pretty and that’s what made it stick out. Her grandparents were gone and the house was falling apart, but she loved the place all the same. Chloe pushed the feelings of nostalgia aside. She hadn’t even decided if she was going to meet with the god. Had she? If she were going to be honest with herself, she knew that she most likely would and that tree was where she would find him. Until then, she had mommy things to do. Like laundry. With a groan, Chloe started the coffee and went through the apartment to collect any clothes that were laying around where they shouldn’t have been.

John arrived home that afternoon. By that time, his wife had finally gotten caught up on her housework and was removing pizza from a freshly delivered box. She was not about to cook after cleaning all day. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before stealing the slice of pizza from her plate and taking a huge bite out of it. Chloe gave him a half-hearted glare, then replaced her slice with another and sat down. April sat in the chair across from her, kicking her feet, underneath the table and occasionally hitting a leg. “April, honey, please stop that.”  
“Mmk, mommy.” The little girl had had her mouth stuffed with cheesy goodness and Chloe automatically closed her eyes to avoid seeing pieces of chewed up food tumbling out of the child’s mouth.  
They ate mostly in silence, with bits of conversation floating between the adults about John’s work at his parent’s house. He had taken up vacation time to help them and had to return to work the next day. April ran off to her room as soon as she finished eating, leaving the adults alone.  
“He stopped by, John.” Chloe figured that her husband would know who she was talking about.  
“Who?” He asked, then shook his head. “Oh. Yeah, I told you he’d come back.”  
She sighed. Maybe she was worried over nothing. In all likelihood, she reasoned, Loki had changed his mind. Or perhaps he really had just been playing with her to begin with. She didn’t know and she wouldn’t if she didn’t talk to him. “It doesn’t bother you?”  
Choe had asked that same question months ago.

* * * * * * * * * *

_Five months ago, Chloe was sitting at the base of the tree at her grandparent's house. John had taken April with him to pick out a birthday gift for her, so she had some time to herself for once. Being outside and alone felt good. She leaned back and closed her eyes. It was three years after she'd met Loki. Though she had stopped going across the Other, he had followed her back to this tree the first night they met. For the next half a year, she looked forward to visiting the tree and crossing to the Other. Most days, she would search for Loki. Sometimes, he would be waiting at the tree and lead her across. She smiled at the memories. She hadn't been back to the tree in a few years, but he was visiting her at home fairly often now. She even had an altar for him set up on a shelf in her apartment.  
"Hello, beautiful."  
Chloe popped her eyes open again upon hearing his silky voice.  
He sat beside her. "Are you going to come back?"   
She knew he must have been asking about the Other. Chloe shrugged. "I'd love to. Just not sure that the risk is worth it anymore."  
He wrapped an arm around her and she settled against his chest. They sat for a moment before he spoke again. "We can be together there. You and I. Will you be mine?"  
Chloe looked up at him in shock, then quickly averted her gaze toward the ground. Was he really asking what she thought he was?  
Chloe had been wondering if her relationship with Loki could be considered cheating. She thought about her husband. Would he be upset if he found out the offer was made? Chloe had heard that these things happened. Was it something she expected? Not particularly. To make matters more confusing for her, the woman realized that she had been developing feelings for Loki. Sure, mortals loved him. She loved him in that way that a mortal can only love a god. Yet, she was afraid that she was also falling in love with him. Did he know? Chloe was sure she’d be embarrassed if he did. She had no doubt that he loved his humans, but she thought he wouldn’t love her in the same way. Besides, she already had somebody who did.  
"Well?" Loki put his hand to Chloe's chin and eased her face back toward his. "Will you be my lover?"  
She shook her head. "I don't… You know that I'm married. How could you ask that?" Her heart felt like it might break free from her chest.  
The corners of his Loki's lips turned up slyly and he leaned down. Chloe could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek. "I can ask with these lips, my darling. These very lips that you desire me to ravish your own with. And this tongue that I am sure you wouldn't mind me exploring your skin with."  
Chloe shivered and pushed herself away from him. "Damn it, Loki. I can't! This game you're playing isn't what I signed up for."  
He laughed, but it sounded empty to Chloe's ears. "No? If you're so sure…" He stood up, his body moving stiffly. "You think I'm playing with you, right? That I think of you as what? A toy?"  
She reached toward him. "Loki, I'm sorry. I'm just… I think I'm just confused. Can I have time to think on it, please?"  
Loki nodded. "If that is what you need, okay." His voice was quiet, but it felt like it surrounded her. "I'll wait until you're ready."  
Chloe watched as the god disappeared._

_It took a few weeks before Chloe felt ready to confess everything to John. He had handled it surprisingly well. The only thing she hadn't mentioned was going back to the Other.  
He took a few moments to respond. "He'll be back, Chloe. You can make up with him then."  
She felt confusion cross her face. "Hon, he asked me to be his. As in, the way I am yours and you're mine."  
John smiled. "I got that part."  
Chloe stared at the hands folded in her lap. "That doesn't bother you?"  
He wrapped his arms around her. "I love you. If a god wants you, too, what can I say?"  
She thought that John sounded sad, or maybe afraid, but didn't know what else to say. _

* * * * * * * * * *  
 _Present Day._

John kissed Chloe. "Babe, I'm not worried about sharing you if you want to be with Loki, too. We can make it work."  
Chloe felt the tension lift from her chest. Her husband was willing to let her be with Loki. It was okay to love the god. Chloe kissed John back. "You." She kissed him again. "Are." She paused to kiss him one more time. "Unbelievable."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe goes to meet Loki, but briefly runs into trouble.

After putting April to bed, Chloe said goodnight to John and left the apartment. She went first to the tree. There was no sign that Loki was there. She frowned. That was the place she had assumed that he wanted to meet her at. Chloe wracked her brain to think about where to go, then crossed into the Other. She could do so from any location, but it was easiest to open that door from this tree. Her theory had to do with the amount of magical energy that may have been left at the tree. Or, she also supposed, it was simply due to her own attachment to the location. Whatever the reason, the ease of travel was why she would often go there before leaving the earthside.  
Chloe stepped out into a wooded area. It was dark and she nearly tripped over what felt like a large rock. She groaned. She was definitely out of practice. Chloe had intended on going directly to the cabin that she had visited Loki at a few times. She figured, since he wasn't at the tree, he might be there instead. She didn't know for sure if she was even close to it. Chloe felt around and, after some minutes, she gathered some sticks. It took longer for her to start a fire. She didn't know how much time passed before she managed to get enough of a spark to get something started. She froze up at every noise she heard, despite reminding herself that silence in a forest would be worse. By the time Chloe had fashioned a torch, lit it, and put the fire on the ground out, profanity was flowing out of her mouth.  
She began her trek through the woods. Since it was dark, she had trouble keeping track of which direction she was going without stopping every so often to check for moss on the trees. It became easier when a sliver of the moon peeked out from behind the clouds. She followed that until she found a stream. Chloe almost felt excited until she realized that she was still lost. She sat down on the ground in a frustrated gesture. Chloe knew it would have been wiser to reopen the door and go back to her tree. She knew that the woods, either earthside or across the Other, were not a safe place to be after dark. She hung her head in shame.  
"What am I doing here?" She said softly to no one.  
"Perhaps you are here for me?" A gravelly voice spoke from the darkness.  
Chloe jumped up. She couldn't tell which direction the voice had come from. As she spun around, she debated what to do. Sometimes it was best to ignore things that you couldn't see, but sometimes it made them more dangerous. She squinted her eyes. "Sorry, I was looking for… someone else?" As she spoke Chloe opened the door to walk out. She stepped back to the tree and leaned against it with a huff before she heard a snap of a twig.  
Expecting Loki, Chloe turned with her arms outstretched. She pulled her arms back toward her chest when she saw it wasn't him. A grey creature took a step toward her. It had a lanky body, pointed ears, and sharp teeth. She didn't know what it was, but she felt her skin crawl.  
It spoke in the same gravelly voice she had heard just a moment ago. "Why did you leave me? I'm hungry. Where did you bring me?" It sniffed the air around itself.  
"Fuck." Chloe slowly stepped back. She no longer had her preferred weapon and she wasn't sure if she could still send an effective energy blast at the grey creature. She gathered up her energy and, remembering she was at her tree, prayed to her ancestors for protection. She felt the air crackle around her before she shot an arrow of energy from her hands. Before it made an impact on it's target, the creature disappeared. Chloe thought that it must have returned across the Other. Good riddance, she decided.  
Chloe ran her hands through her hair. She messed up. All because she wanted to find Loki, because he wasn't waiting for her at the tree.  
"Loki, where are you? You unreliable asshole! Surely you knew that I would assume you wanted to meet here. Didn't you think I'd try to find you somewhere else if you weren't here?" She sighed.  
It wasn't fair of her to blame him for her mistake.  
Chloe sat on her heels, resting her heads in her arms over her knees. She heard a rustling sound. There wasn't any wind, so she looked up afraid that the grey creature had returned. Instead, she saw Loki. He kneeled down beside her.  
"What's wrong, darling?" Loki wiped away a tear from Chloe's cheek. She hadn't realized that she had started crying.  
"I didn't know where you were. Then I went and ran into some… thing. I don't know what it was, but it freaked me out." She was now aware of more tears flooding her eyes.  
Loki pulled her into his chest. "Shh… It's okay. You're here. You're safe." He rubbed her back as she sniffled.  
Chloe shook her head. "It followed me here. Nothing ever followed me back before, except for you. It was here. And then it was gone." She felt him stop moving and wondered if she said something wrong.  
Loki pulled himself back to look her in the face. His eyes showed concern. "You really are out of practice, aren't you?"  
She nodded solemnly. The truth was, since having April, Chloe's magical practice in general had waned. Sure, she still cleansed and warded her home from time to time. She occasionally did healing work and divination. It wasn't often anymore, but she did. Astral travel and the magic she used with that, on the other hand? She was now realizing that she wasn't the expert she once thought of herself as. She hadn't been able to open the right door when she went across the Other, nor had she closed it when she returned. Chloe remembered now, too late, that she hadn't even taken any basic precautions before travelling this evening.  
"Where were you?" She finally managed to whisper.  
"I'm sorry. There was an issue elsewhere that I needed to attend to. I'm here now. Why had you travelled?" His voice was gently reprimanding when he asked.  
Chloe shrugged. "I thought maybe you meant for me to meet you somewhere else. I guess I was too hasty?"  
Loki chuckled. "Yeah, you might have been. Next time you want to cross, maybe wait for me? Or at least brush up on your basics first."  
Chloe nodded. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea." She wrapped her arms around herself. "Maybe I'll do both…"  
The two remained silent for a few minutes. Chloe was embarrassed at her beginner level faux pas and she was thankful that Loki hadn't said any more about it than he did. She thought of her reason for meeting Loki tonight and of her earlier conversation with John. A breeze began to blow, sending a strand of her hair over her face. She brushed it back and watched Loki.  
His hair had returned to it's more vibrant fire-like color. He appeared to be studying her face. She gave him a soft smile. She didn't want him to worry any more than he already had. Standing up, Chloe took his hand. She noticed that there was a bandage wrapped around it and raised a questioning brow at him.  
"Don't worry about it," he mumbled.  
She shrugged. "Okay. Well, I wanted to tell you, if you'll still have me…" Chloe took a deep breath. "Did your question still stand? About us?"  
Loki grinned. "I think you know the answer to that." He leaned down, his face close to hers. "Are you ready to say yes?"  
Chloe closed the distance between their lips. She felt a jolt of energy spark through her body as they kissed. She didn't want that moment to end and yet, she pulled away. "Does that answer that for you?"  
His eyes sparkled as he pressed his body against hers. "I don't know. Maybe you need to kiss me a little more," he mumbled into her ear.  
She turned her head and gave him a quick peck, then back away playfully. "That's not all I wanted to talk to you about!"  
Loki made a pouting face, then gestured for her to continue.  
"I do want to astral travel again. We were talking about that before, but after tonight, I have to ask if you'd help me baby step back into it? John did have a legitimate worry about me doing it, I guess. Especially after tonight. And, I still don't want him to know just yet."  
The god nodded. "Of course. Although you know I won't, nor can I, promise to be there every step of the way. Just to be clear."  
Chloe shrugged. "Of course," she repeated.  
Before she could say anything else, Loki pulled her back into his arms. "Now, what do you say I take you out somewhere before you need to head home?" He winked at her and their surroundings became distorted and shifted to a new location.


End file.
